Monday

DARTMOUTH — They call it a game because it’s supposed to be fun; just ask Dartmouth High senior Bret Abreu.

As he headed for the batter‘s box with the potential winning run on third and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, shortstop Hunter Pimental, the on-deck hitter, told Abreu, “It’s fun, isn’t it?”

“It was fun,” Abreu said. “I have all the confidence in the world in this team and it showed in the chemistry we have for one another.”

He must have done well in chemistry as he ripped a 2-2 pitch back through the middle, off the leg of pitcher Brad Collins and into center field as Dylan Arruda, who walked, scored the decisive run in the thrilling 4-3 victory over Plymouth South Monday at Dartmouth in the Div. 2 South quarterfinals.

“Arruda had a great at bat and didn’t chase at 3-0 and 3-1,” Dartmouth coach Mike Frates explained. “He kept his discipline, got to second (stolen base) and took third on a wild pitch.

“In that last inning, with the winning run on third, Bret was the best batter to have up at the plate.”

The fifth-seeded Indians (15-7) advance to the semifinal against top-seeded North Attleboro (19-2). The day, time and place of that game has not been announced.

“I was just thinking I’ve got to get a good swing because he was throwing a great curve,” Abreu explained. “He threw the curve ball on the first pitch for a strike and at 2-2, I knew the curve was coming. I tried to put a good swing on it and hit it back up the middle.”

He didn’t know what happened to the ball after he made contact as he put his head down and headed for first. The celebration at home plate told him all he needed to know.

It was a big day for Abreu, whose first-inning single pushed leadoff batter Dylan Pacheco, who had walked, to third. Pacheco scored as Pimental forced Abreu at second.

With Dartmouth trailing 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, Abreu led off by working a walk from Collins. He moved to second on Pimental’s grounder back to the mound and, with two outs, scored on Ben Aaronson’s single to right.

Aaronson moved up to second on the late throw home and scored after Collins uncorked two wild pitches, tying the game.

“It was hits and walks today,” Frates explained. “They were crucial in moving runners over and the walks were huge.”

Collins allowed five hits and struck out 10, but he walked three and all three baserunners scored.

While Collins, who is committed to Division 1 UMass-Amherst, was throwing his hard stuff, sophomore Brandon Aguiar was baffling the Panthers with his assortment of off-speed pitches. After South scored to tie the game at 1-1 in the second inning, Aguiar set down 11 straight until running into trouble in the top of the sixth.

With one out, Jack Christian singled to left to break the streak, Collins reached on an error and pinch hitter Aiden Myers singled to center, scoring Christian, but Collins was out trying to go to third on the play. Hunter Dean singled and Cason Tripp was called on for relief for Dartmouth. He walked a batter to load the bases, but finished the game with four straight ground outs.

“That was a tough position to put a sophomore, but Aguiar threw strikes and kept them off balance,” Frates pointed out. “They (South players) were yelling to hit him (Aguiar), that he’s only throwing 45 miles-per-hour, but he did a fine job for us,”

WHAT IT MEANS: Plymouth South (9-13) qualified as the runner-up in the Patriot League’s Fisher Division. Its season is over. … Dartmouth continues its run through the Division 2 South bracket and meets No. 1 North Attleboro with a chance to go to the sectional final.

SOUTHCOASTVARSITY.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Abreu’s RBI single won the game in the bottom of the seventh. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored a run.

FRATES: “To come back like that shows this is a gritty team with a strong group of seniors who were not ready for the season to end. … We battled, using the little things that we do every day in practice – like getting a good jump to steal a base.”

PLYMOUTH SOUTH STATS: Seven different players got one hit apiece for the Panthers. … In four of the seven innings, South batters went down 1-2-3.

DARTMOUTH STATS: Abreu had two hits, Pacheco a double, Aaronson and John Correiro added singles.

Plymouth South;010;002;0—3

Dartmouth;100;002;1—4

WP: Cason Tripp; LP: Brad Collins

Records: Plymouth South (9-13); Dartmouth (15-7)

Next: Dartmouth faces No. 1 seeded North Attleboro (19-2) in the Division 2 South Sectional semifinal, site and time TBA

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